“Starlinger+Nordson” combo delivers superior PET bottle-to-bottle recycling results

Due to Nordson’s BKG Flex Disc filter cartridge, which has been included for melt filtration, the production output is even higher than the values guaranteed in the acceptance protocol. Also the purge rate has been reduced by 40%, and the melt loss due to backflushing is below the minimum values.

“Our Starlinger system with Flex Disc filters was a positive investment for Ice River Springs,” said a spokesperson from the company. “The new filtration system has improved our purification process, reduced waste, and improved performance to a level at, or beyond the commitment made by Starlinger. As recycling streams evolve and become more challenging, this reliable system will continue to provide the quality resin required by Ice River Springs in the coming years.”

The Nordson BKG HiCon K-SWE-250-4K-75/RS-FC screen changer is a backflush melt filter system for continuous operation with two screen-bearing pistons and four screen cavities. With a total of approximately 4,000sqm, the filtration area is 2.4 times larger than when using standard screens, filtering the melt with a fineness of 56μ. Another big advantage is the high process stabilization as 75% of the filtration area is available in the filtration process during screen change and backflushing.

“With the Nordson Flex Disc filter integrated into our PET recycling system, the melt loss that accumulates during the backflushing process in the course of the filter cleaning is down to 1.4-1.7%—a figure that is a lot lower than normal in PET bottle-to-bottle recycling processes,” explained Paul Niedl, Head of Sales at Starlinger recycling technology. “The filter works very efficiently; even when processing materials with high contamination that cannot be recycled on other lines, the backflushing melt loss increases to no more than 2%.”

The recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ recycling line is the second one Ice River Springs installed after purchasing the first PET recycling line from Starlinger recycling technology in 2010, also a recoSTAR PET iV+ system. The new line has a production capacity of 1,900kg/h and recycles pre-washed PET bottle flakes from curb side collection in Canada.

Ice River Springs is also running its own PET bottle-to-bottle recycling operation, Blue Mountain Plastics in Shelburne, the US, which is equipped with washing and recycling lines and produces bottles made of up to 100% recycled PET.

In 2011, Ice River Springs received the Letter of Non-Objection for its bottles produced from recycled PET (rPET) from the Bureau of Chemical Safety/Food Directorate, Health Canada. The company runs a vertically integrated operation that also includes preform production and bottle filling plants, which complete the system for closed loop PET bottle recycling.